Show RATE legisla bior the interstate commerce commission has set forth in a bill for presentation to the senate a statement of the additional powers which it believes ought to be conferred upon it by the legislature these powers include the general provisions which have already secured the presidential approval and which have been rendered familiar to the whole country by much discussion it also goes still further afield in als efforts to cover tho whole ground and to furnish a piece of legislation that shall bo an honest and an effective effort to solve a vital problem to summarize what appears to be a very inclusive and remarkable piece of work boull be difficult until telegraphic reports have supplemented by a complete draft which Is said to occupy twenty seven typewritten type written sheets it would perhaps be equally difficult until then to pronounce a definite judgment of a bill that has been the product of prolonged and expert deliberation some few features however seem to stand out in very satisfactory relief not only as making evasion very difficult although evasion Is by no means to be anticipated but also as tending to prevent subsequent litigation aswell as supplementary legislation thus the definition of transportation Is especially valuable under the bill transportation will include all instrumentalities and agencies usually employed by the carrier even though they may be outside or beyond the direct business of transportation the scope of the bill and of the control for which it provides ia thus extended to elevators terminals cars and all the mechanism of refrigeration and ventilation according to the bill tho charges for all these services wherever such services are required by the traffic must be included in tho rate and as such they will come under the supervision and the control of the commission this Is a matter of first rate importance not only as closing many pos elble loopholes for evasion but as minimizing the chances for litigation it Is an effort to unify railway rates and to simplify transportation procedure and as such it should greatly facilitate railway business the commission will also have the power to change the classification of any article where it believes that such article does not properly fall under the classification assigned to it certainly it would bo labor lost to control rates while leaving the classification upon which the rates largely depend without control in arbitrating between the railways and such individuals or corporations po rations as may have lodged complaints pla ints the commission will have the right to prescribe both maximum and minimum rates wherever it may be necessary so to do to prevent illegal discrimination and where the commission has decided upon a joint rate it may assign the apportionment of such rate between the various carriers concerned it the latter are unable to agree amongst themselves tho most radical provision Is that authorizing tho commission to examine the accounts of interstate railroads and forbidding tho keeping of any other books of accounts save those prescribed by the commission the railways must also report to the commission on a great variety of points there must in other words be no secrets because secrecy usually implies illegality there is certainly no reason why the records of any bona fide transactions should be hidden from the commission with the right of access to the accounts and the prohibition of more than one set of accounts it will be impossible for any infringement of the law to remain undetected it there is anywhere a weak point in the bill it will possibly bo found in the procedure that allows for review of the commissions decisions by united states courts there must of course be the right 0 appeal but unless it can be operated promptly it will simply open the door to endless mischief the decision of the commission ought in all cases to become effective at once rather than remaining in abeyance pending such appeal as may be made rectification it necessary can be made afterward and tho tact that the decision goes at once into force would bo a check upon unnecessary litigation and also upon legal the full draft of the bill when it hag been published may show that the machinery of appeal has all the necessary simplicity but it must be remembered that railway rates have a marked effect upon prices and where there 13 delay or uncertainty in determining what those rates will eventually be there must also bo a corresponding inconvenience to the markets women love a clear healthy complexion pl exion pure blood makes it burdock blood bitters makes pure blood |